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How To Decide On The Right Kinds Of Internal Meetings For Your Business
According to Atlassian, employees attend an average of 62 meetings per month. Only half are considered productive. While there are a myriad of reasons why a meeting might be less effective than intended, one possible explanation is that it is, simply, the wrong type of meeting. As the below guide discusses, choosing the right kind of internal meeting often involves several steps.
Types of internal meetings
There are several types of internal meetings. Large meetings—such as all-hands (or full staff) and role-specific (i.e. all managers)—can be ideal for launching new initiatives or sharing company updates. Departmental and cross-functional (or project-based) meetings can enable team members to engage with more targeted news and training, or to organize and track ongoing tasks. One-on-one meetings are often reserved for check-ins and individual mentoring, performance discussions, and other sensitive conversations. Choosing the correct meeting style can help to ensure that you are using your time productively and accomplishing your aims.
Selection criteria
If you are uncertain about which meeting type best suits your needs, consider the following criteria. First, define the objectives for the meeting. Is it intended to define strategy or concrete action items? If so, a role-specific, departmental, or one-on-one meeting may be advantageous. Are you hoping to report results and discuss lessons learned? An all-hands meeting may be ideal. A cross-functional meeting can help you gather relevant stakeholders to begin a new project, while a deep dive into a narrow metric or topic may be perfect for a departmental meeting. Seeking alignment or buy-in for a proposal? An all-hands or role-specific meeting might be the right choice.
Business meeting
Second, determine the relevant people to invite. Who can directly impact the situation that is up for discussion? Who will be directly impacted by any decisions that are made during the meeting? It is important to ensure that these individuals have their voices represented.
Third, review your action items to verify that your intended format is an appropriate fit. If you have not yet developed concrete items, now is an ideal time to outline your specific goals and intentions.
Sample scenario
Sample scenario
You have decided to run a seasonal sale, and would like to hold a meeting to identify action items. In order to do so, you invite the stakeholders who will be carrying out each part of the promotion. This includes the marketing staff members who are responsible for the external messaging that will broadcast the sale, the sales team who will be speaking with potential customers, and the customer service representatives who will be attending to purchasing leads. In this instance, you would opt for a cross-functional meeting.
Ultimately, there is no “one size fits all.” Your company’s needs will change over time. In the early stages of your business, an all-hands internal meeting might make a great deal of sense, but as your organization grows, you may realize that other meeting formats have become more effective. What is most important is to align your meeting choices with your short- and long-term goals.
Ultimately, there is no “one size fits all.” Your company’s needs will change over time. In the early stages of your business, an all-hands internal meeting might make a great deal of sense, but as your organization grows, you may realize that other meeting formats have become more effective. What is most important is to align your meeting choices with your short- and long-term goals.
Chuck Cohn is the CEO and founder of Varsity Tutors, a live learning platform that connects students and professionals with personalized instruction to achieve any goal.
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